This summer will mark another milestone for Whitewater Ski Resort as the resorts original chairlift, the Summit Chair, will be replaced with a brand new Leitner-Poma fixed-grip quad chairlift. After 41 years of sweeping guests up the slopes, the Summit Chair will have a new look and a new feel starting the 2017/2018 winter season.

Photo by Backcountry Skiing Canada

Scheduled to open with the resort in December 2017, this new lift will follow the same alignment and offer the same ride time as the original, but will provide guests with an easier load and unload experience. This will not only enable easier progression around the mountain but will also improve access to all of the incredible terrain that Whitewater has to offer. By keeping the same alignment the viewing pleasure of The Blast will remain, which often sees showboaters both young and old rallying the cheers of their fellow shredders above, but the ride will be much more comfortable with cushy seats and the removal of the centre pole. Other changes that guests may notice is the new higher lift towers, which will eliminate any under the chair run closures and give the showboaters more room to play.

In replacing the Summit Chair, there will be minimal impact made on the resorts terrain, yet the new chair will decrease noise pollution and provide more efficiency. Most of the metal from the current lift will be recycled and the new lift will reduce power usage and the requirement for grease/petroleum products, overall minimizing the environmental footprint of the resort as a whole.

Photo by Elliott Kramer

This announcement demonstrates that Knee Deep Developments Ltd., who purchased the resort in the fall of 2008, is maintaining their commitment to improve the Whitewater experience while keeping the community vibe that makes the resort so unique. The addition of the Glory Chair in 2010 was a huge success story and the replacement of the Summit Chair is the next chapter. “The team at Whitewater is really excited to be able to further improve the experience we offer here at the resort,” states Kirk Jensen, General Manager. “It is going to be a significant upgrade for the resort and ultimately for our guests.”

This announcement of Knee Deep’s further efforts to improve the experience at Whitewater comes directly after the second annual Community Day, which was held on Friday January 13. The resort once again offered local residents a $10 lift ticket to experience the resort for the day, of which all proceeds collected were donated back to the community to say thank you for its support. This year just over $4000 will be donated to the Whitewater Ski Team and the Civic Theatre.

This winter marks skiers and snowboarders last chance to ride the original Summit Chair lift, which is showcased in TGR’s Whitewater Sessions, as seen above. The resort will be selling the original chairlifts to those who are interested in owning a piece of Whitewater’s history. Contact the resort at info@skiwhitewater.com or call 250-354-4944 for further details.